In an effort to streamline asylum procedures and address migration challenges, the European Union has identified seven countries it now considers “safe” for the purposes of returning migrants more efficiently.
The European Commission announced that Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco, and Tunisia have been proposed as “safe countries of origin.” This designation implies that asylum applications from citizens of these nations will be presumed to lack sufficient merit, enabling EU governments to fast-track decisions and prioritize more urgent cases.
“Many member states are grappling with a significant backlog of asylum applications. Anything we can do now to accelerate the decision-making process is critical,” said Magnus Brunner, the EU Commissioner for Migration.
According to the Commission, candidate countries for EU membership generally qualify as safe, unless impacted by conflict or instability. The bloc had previously attempted a similar initiative in 2015, but disagreements—especially over whether to include Turkey—halted its progress.
The latest move comes amid mounting pressure on the EU to reduce irregular migration and enforce deportations more effectively. This shift follows growing public concern over migration, which has contributed to electoral gains for far-right parties in several member states.
In October, countries including Sweden, Italy, Denmark, and the Netherlands urged for swift legislative action to increase deportations and explore innovative solutions to curb irregular migration. Responding to those calls, the European Commission recently unveiled proposed reforms to the EU’s return system, including provisions that could allow member states to establish migrant return centers outside of EU borders.
Currently, EU statistics show that fewer than 20 percent of individuals ordered to leave the bloc are actually returned to their countries of origin.
